"Barer pulls no punches in his telling of the story," writes Frank Girodot, the senior editor of the San Gabriel Valley News Group, "which begins humorously enough: “Phil Champagne died Aug. 31, 1982, in a tragic boating accident off Lopez Island, Washington. He was 52. Champagne was survived by his wife of 28 years, four grown children, an octogenarian mother and two despondent brothers. Phil didn’t know he was dead until he read it in the … [Read more...]
True Crime Author Kevin Sullivan
Greetings fellow readers! My journey with the written word began very early in life. The first book I read (devoured actually) was Charles Franklin's, The World's Worst Murderers, published in 1965. Since I was only ten, it wasn't the kind of book that should have interested me, but it did. And despite having to stop occasionally to ask my mother the meaning of a particular word or two, within two weeks I closed the book with a distinct … [Read more...]
Burl Barer Hosts True Crime Uncensored
Date: Saturdays, 2 p.m. (Pacific Time) Author and Outlaw Radio host Burl Barer interviews crime writers, experts, journalists and even criminals on True Crime Uncensored. Click here for upcoming shows. … [Read more...]
BOGEYMAN-‘He stands on the edge of a foul dark pond …”
"He stands on the edge of a foul dark pond as the cold winds of hell howl around him. In his cruel hands, he holds a collection of shiny pebbles that represent every child he took, subjected to unspeakable horrors and pain, and then remorselessly killed in the most terrifying manner imaginable. With each murder, the monster, this bogeyman, this nightmare, tosses a pebble into the bottomless waters causing ripples of misery and devastation to … [Read more...]
Bogeyman – Throwaway Kids
Editor’s Note: Katlyn Sweet is the daughter of Detective Gary Sweet, one of the main investigators whose quest to catch serial child-killer David Penton is the subject of BOGEYMAN: He Was Every Parent’s Nightmare. She wrote this blog about her father's investigation and its impression on her then and now. A small child is abducted, scared, murdered and tossed onto the earth like she means nothing to this world. In fact, the small child is … [Read more...]
Man Overboard – Introduction to the 20th Anniversary Edition
My first foray into true crime, MAN OVERBOARD: The Counterfeit Resurrection of Phil Champagne, was a surprise hit, achieved universal rave reviews, and was nominated for an Anthony Award at the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention as “Best True Crime Book of the Year.” “Oh, Burl,” said true-crime author Ann Rule, “I just know you’re going to win.” I didn’t. Ann won for Dead by Sunset. Ann Rule actually appears in Man Overboard and was the … [Read more...]
Bogeyman – Why I Chose This True Crime Story
Since the August publication of BOGEYMAN, I've frequently been asked how and why I chose this particular story to write about. I know what drives some of that: True Crime authors usually steer clear of stories about the murder of children, particularly those involving a killer who’s a stranger … a bogeyman. Sure there are the books in which the parents murder their offspring (and sometimes spouse), and we’re all justifiably horrified. But … [Read more...]
Steve Jackson Writes A True Crime About Every Parent’s Nightmare In BOGEYMAN
New York Times Bestselling Author Pens A True Horror Story About A Real-life Monster include "https://wildbluepress.com/wp-content/themes/magazine-pro/wbp-maincontentsalesbuttons.php?title=bogeyman"; BOGEYMAN: He Was Every Parent's Nightmare. The inspirational true crime story describing in dramatic detail the efforts of tenacious Texas lawmen to solve the cold case murders of three little girls and hold their killer accountable for his … [Read more...]
